A pressurized gas-entrapping candy, namely that a candy entrapping fine bubbles of pressurized gas in a hard candy piece and generating pleasing sound due to explosion of the bubbles, as it puts and melts in mouth or water is one of products having been accorded a favorable reception in the market.
Various methods have been proposed for producing such a pressurized gas-entrapping candy. According to methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,909 and 4,001,457, for instance, the pressurized gas-entrapping candy is produced by charging a condensate f or hard candies into a pressure vessel, charging pressurized carbon dioxide gas of 400-700 psi (about 30-50 kg/cm.sup.2) into the pressure vessel, stirring the condensate by an agitator arranged in the pressure vessel at 400-500 rpm to entrap the pressurized gas in the candy condensate, cooling the candy condensate to make its temperature to 70.degree. F. (about 20.degree. C.) and then releasing the pressure due to carbon dioxide gas, and opening the pressure vessel at the time when the inner pressure of the pressure vessel has dropped to atmospheric one.
According to a method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,189 (corresponding to JP-B 2,556,718 and EP-B-0 326 692) developed by the present inventors, while, the pressurized gas-entrapping candy is produced by firstly preparing a hard candy piece, crushing the same and sieving to obtain candy particles, charging the resulting candy particles in a mold to press the same and to prepare a pre-shaped candy piece, charging the pre-shaped porous candy piece into a pressure vessel, charging pressurized carbon dioxide gas into the pressure vessel, heating the porous pre-shaped candy piece to cause a partial melting of the particles constituting the candy piece and to entrap the carbon dioxide gas therein as fine bubbles, cooling the pressure vessel, while keeping inner pressure of the pressure vessel in a high level, releasing the pressure in the pressure vessel, and opening the pressure vessel. According to another method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,098 developed by the present inventors as in the above method, a pressurized gas-entrapping candy is produced by subjecting a condensate for hard candies to a pulling operation to entrap air therein as fine bubbles, shaping the air-entrapped condensate to convert into an air-entrapped candy piece, dipping the shaped candy piece into liquid nitrogen to solidify the same and to form cracks which break air bubbles in the shaped candy piece, charging the cracked candy piece into a pressure vessel, and thereafter, carrying out the steps similar to the method as disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,189.
Among the prior art methods of producing the pressurized gas-entrapping candy, the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,909 and 4,001,457 requires an expensive pressure vessel with the agitator for entrapping therein as fine bubbles pressurized carbon dioxide gas through steps of charging heated candy condensate into the pressure vessel and stirring the condensate under high pressure condition of 400-700 psi. Particularly, a special pressure-resistant part at bearing portion of the agitator to prevent leakage of the pressurized gas. Further, the condensate for hard candy shows higher viscosity even though under temperature condition in an extent of 100.degree. C. and thus a powerful electric motor is required for carrying out the high-speed stirring, and therefore a cost on incidental facilities not only increase, but higher technical level is also required. Moreover, in the production procedure, the candy condensate adhered on inner wall of the pressure vessel shall change in its quality and solidified thereon by the heat of a jacket for the pressure vessel and thus it is impossible to carry out the continuous producing operation over 8 hours.
In the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,189, wherein the prepared hard candy particles are accommodated in a cylindrical vessel to shape by press operation and then the resulting shaped porous hard candy piece is accommodated in the pressure vessel to carry out pressurized gas-entrapping operation, a size of the porous hard candy piece cannot be set so large, in relation to required period of time of thermal transmission from a jacket to core portion of the porous hard candy piece through the pressurized gas, and thus the production efficiency is somewhat low. On the other hand, in the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,098 including steps of that the pulling operation is carried out to introduce air bubbles in the concentrate for hard candies and that the air-entrapped candy piece is dipped into liquid nitrogen to solidify and to form cracks for breaking the air bubbles, a required period of time becomes longer for forming uniform and fine air bubbles in the candy concentrate and the use of liquid nitrogen increases a cost and requires special facilities.
Therefore, purposes of the present invention provide a pressurized gas-entrapping apparatus for a candy which is simple in structure as well as a method of producing a pressurized gas-entrapping candy which is continuously operable and excellent in production efficiency, so that a large amount production is possible and production cost shall also decrease.
Disclosure of Invention
A pressurized gas-entrapping apparatus for candies and according to the invention comprises
a body which has a jacket communicating with pipes for charging and discharging heating steam as well as pipes for charging and discharging cooling water, a long and cylindrical pressure-resistant vessel having a sealing lid at each end and communicating with pipes for charging and discharging pressurized gas, and a stand for supporting said pressure-resistant vessel, PA1 a cylindrical vessel having outer diameter smaller than inner diameter of said pressure-resistant vessel and a lid with a central opening, which cylindrical vessel is to be filled with hard candy particles and loaded into said pressure-resistant vessel, and PA1 a pipe to be fittingly inserted to the opening formed in the lid of said cylindrical vessel and having fine holes in its peripheral wall at a portion to be positioned within said cylindrical vessel. PA1 composing 25-30 parts by weight of sugar, 25-30 parts by weight of lactose and 40-50 parts by weight of starch hydrolysate and condensing the composition to prepare a condensate for a hard candy, PA1 shaping the condensate, cooling, crushing and sieving to prepare candy particles, PA1 charging the candy particles in a cylindrical vessel which has a lid with a central opening, in which a pipe having fine holes in its peripheral wall, PA1 loading the cylindrical vessel filled with the candy particles into a long and cylindrical pressure-resistant vessel which has a jacket with pipes for charging and discharging heating steam and pipes for charging and discharging cooling water, having a sealing lid at each end and communicating with pipes for charging and discharging pressurized gas, PA1 charging the pressurized gas into the pressure-resistant vessel, PA1 charging the heating steam into the jacket of the pressure-resistant vessel to raise temperature of the hard candy particles in the cylindrical vessel, PA1 stopping the feeding of the heating steam at the time when temperature of a mass in the cylindrical vessel has reached a predetermined one and charging cooling water into the jacket, and PA1 releasing the pressurized state of the pressure-resistant vessel due to the pressurized gas at the time when the temperature of the product lowered to a predetermined one.
In the pressurized gas-entrapping apparatus according to the invention, it is preferable that the pressure-resistant vessel has a size in entire length of 10 m or less and inner diameter of 150 mm or less. Each of those grounds are as follows. If the length exceeds 10 m, observation of inner portion of the pressure-resistant vessel and possible cleaning thereof become difficult and thus not preferable in working. If the inner diameter is larger than 150 mm, while, required thermal transmission period of time for uniformly and partially melting candy particles filled in the cylindrical vessel to form fine bubbles of the pressurized gas becomes to about 60 minutes to lower working efficiency, and if the thermal transmission period of time exceeds 60 minutes, candy particles near the side contacting with inner wall of the jacket of the pressure-resistant vessel become over-heated state to make difficult a desired entrapping of the pressurized gas therein. The pressure-resistant vessel may be arranged in inclined state within a range of 5 degrees or less to the horizontal surface, to make easy loading and unloading of the cylindrical vessel therein. The ground of limitation on the inclination angle lies in as follows. When the candy particles in the cylindrical vessel is heated, there is no apprehension of leaking of molten candy particles into the pressure-resistant vessel, but if the pressure-resistant vessel shall be arranged with inclination angle of more than 5 degrees and over-melting shall occur to the candy particles, molten candy shall gather at bottom of the cylindrical vessel to make difficult a desired entrapping of the pressurized gas.
While, it is preferable that the cylindrical vessel has a size in entire length of lm or less and outer diameter of less than 150 mm in view of the inner diameter of pressure-resistant vessel and more preferably 110 mm or less. Because, if the outer diameter of cylindrical vessel is made near the inner diameter of pressure-resistant vessel, the working for unloading of the cylindrical vessel from the pressure-resistant vessel becomes troublesome and pressurized gas-entrapping efficiency shall decrease, since candy particles positioned at or near inner wall of the cylindrical vessel are heated by the jacket portion of the pressure-resistant vessel directly through the wall of cylindrical vessel or slight space in addition to the wall, so that there is possibility to cause over-heated state thereto.
The ground of that the pressure-resistant vessel is made larger in length and the cylindrical vessel, in which the candy particles are filled, is made short, in the pressurized gas-entrapping apparatus according to the invention lies in that the thermal transmission for charging heating steam into the jacket of the pressure-resistant vessel under pressure by the pressurized gas to cause partial or entire melting of the candy particles in the cylindrical vessel and then charging cooling water into the jacket to cause entrapping the pressurized gas in the candy as fine bubbles is basically carried out by the pressurized gas per se to be heated and then cooled by the jacket portion and thus it necessary to set larger an area of the jacket portion in the pressure-resistant vessel to ensure the temperature control of the pressurized gas, and that candy particles different in taste or flavor are charged in plural cylindrical vessels which are loaded in the pressure-resistant vessel to make possible a current production of pressurized gas-entrapping candies different in those taste.
The pipe to be fittingly inserted into the opening formed in the lid of the cylindrical vessel serves to lead the pressurized gas to be heated or cooled by jacket portion of the pressure-resistant vessel to a mass of the candy particles in the cylindrical vessel and form of the fine holes formed therein and communicating an inner space of the pressure-resistant vessel with inner space of the cylindrical vessel may be of circle, slit, net or the like. It is preferable to have a diameter of 10-30 mm for the pipe. Because, thermal transmission to the candy particles charged in the cylindrical vessel shall delay to reduce production efficiency of the pressurized gas-entrapping candy, if the diameter of the pipe is less than 10 mm. While, if the diameter of pipe is larger than 30 mm, an amount of candy particles to be charged in the cylindrical vessel shall decrease in connection with a size (inner diameter) of the cylindrical vessel. If the fine holes formed in the pipe has circular form, a diameter of 1-3 mm is preferable therefor. Because, if the diameter is less than 1 mm, a blockade thereof shall occur to reduce a gas entering efficiency into inner space of the cylindrical vessel and while, if the diameter is larger than 3 mm, a part of candy particles enters into inner space of the pipe, when the candy particles shall be charged into the cylindrical vessel and the cylindrical vessel shall be entered into the long pressure-resistant vessel to decrease candy production efficiency.
To manufacture a pressurized gas-entrapping candy by using said pressurized gas entrapping apparatus, in the first place, it necessary to prepare hard candy particles to be charged into the cylindrical vessel. Although there is no interruption in using of a formulation of raw materials for the production of general hard candies, a formulation of 25-30 parts by weight of sugar, 25-30 parts by weight of lactose and 40-50 parts by weight of starch hydrolysate is preferable, since such a formulation for more hardy candy makes possible to entrap a gas higher in its pressure, when a pressurized gas-entrapping candy as objective substance shall be manufactured, so that sound pressure to be generated in mouth becomes higher to give a better product.
A method of preparing a condensate for a candy with use of such a formulation and of obtaining hard candy particles is similar with a conventional one.
Therefore, a method of manufacture of pressurized gas-entrapping candy according to the invention is characterized by steps of
A ratio of 1:1 for the sugar to lactose is preferable for carrying out the method according to the invention. If the ratio of the both materials is different in a larger extent, crystallization shall occur during the high-pressure treatment to make difficult entrapping the pressurized gas as fine bubbles, although the cause thereof has not been made apparent. It is preferable to compose the starch hydrolysate in an amount of 40-50 parts by weight and an amount thereof less than 40 parts by weight is not preferable, since the sugar and lactose are apt to be crystallized. If the starch hydrolysate shall be composed in an amount more than 50 parts by weight, while, solubility of the pressurized gas-entrapping candy to be obtained becomes worse and thus it is not preferable in generation of sound in mouth.
The raw materials for the hard candy in said ratio are condensed by using a conventional continuous condenser such as a kettle type condenser until moisture content of the condensate becomes 2% or less, and the condensate is shaped to a optional form, cooled to cause solidification thereof, and crushed the solidified mass, so that the resulting candy particles pass through a standard 40 mesh sieve based on the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The ground of that particle size is set to less than 40 mesh lies in that if it is larger, a part entrapping no pressurized gas shall be formed, so that generation of sound becomes weak in mouth.
After the pipe with fine holes in its peripheral wall is inserted into the cylindrical vessel to fully charge the candy particles in a space between outer wall of the pipe and inner wall of the cylindrical vessel and to fit the lid of cylindrical vessel, the cylindrical vessel(s) are loaded into the long and cylindrical pressure-resistant vessel and then inner pressure of the pressure-resistant vessel is increased by the pressurized gas which may be of carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas. In this case, it is preferable to set the pressure in the pressure-resistant vessel to 35-60 kgf/cm.sup.2. If the inner pressure is less than 35 kgf/cm.sup.2, sound pressure to be generated, when the pressurized gas-entrapping candy as final products shall melt in mouth, becomes low and while, if the inner pressure is higher than 60 kgf/cm.sup.2, the pressure excesses pressure-resistant power of the pressurized gas-entrapping candy per se to cause an explosion thereof and as a result, desired pressurized gas-entrapping candy generating pleasure sound cannot be obtained.
After that the inner pressure has reached a predetermined level, heating steam is charged into the jacket of pressure-resistant vessel to increase temperature of the candy particles in the cylindrical vessel(s) to 100-150.degree. C. through the pressurized gas heated by the heating steam in the jacket. If the temperature of mass of candy particles is less than 100.degree. C., sufficient partial melting of the candy particles shall not occur, so that pressurized gas-entrapping candy with the pressurized gas in the form of fine bubbles can not be obtained and while, if the temperature of mass of candy particles is set to that higher than 150.degree. C., over-melting of the candy particles shall occur, so that desired pressurized gas-entrapping candy with the pressurized gas in the form of fine bubbles can also not be obtained. In actual operation, it is preferable to set as that the temperature of mass of candy particles becomes in a range of 120-145.degree. C.
If the temperature of mass of candy particles has reached said range, the heating steam is immediately discharged and cooling water is charged into the jacket to cool mass of the pressurized gas-entrapping candy in the cylindrical vessel until its temperature becomes less than 30.degree. C.
Then, the feeding of pressurized gas is stopped to discharge the same from the pressure-resistant vessel and when the inner pressure in the pressure-resistant vessel has reached a level of atmospheric pressure, a door or lid of the pressure-resistant vessel is opened to take-out the cylindrical vessel(s) therefrom, and then the lid of the cylindrical vessel(s) is removed to take-out the pressurized gas-entrapping candy in the form of a thick cylinder, together with the pipe. Thereafter, the pipe is drawn-out and the thick cylindrical mass of pressurized gas-entrapping candy is crushed to obtain desired pressurized gas-entrapping candy products with suitable size.